Judith Grimes (TV Series)
Judith Grimes is a toddler who was born during the outbreak in AMC's The Walking Dead. She is the toddler daughter of Lori Grimes and Shane Walsh and the half-sister to Carl Grimes. Despite not being her biological father, Rick has adopted her as his own and is willing to protect her at all costs. Post-Apocalypse Judith Grimes is the second child born to Lori Grimes and is the first infant depicted having been born during the zombie apocalypse. As the only person so far to have no memories of the pre-apocalyptic world, her parents express hope that she will not live in constant fear as they do, and they wish that she will accept the post-apocalyptic world as the way things are without referencing the way things used to be. From the moment when Lori discovers that she is pregnant with Judith, questions arise as to who the baby's biological father is. Lori has a very brief sexual liaison with Shane, Rick's best friend, at the Atlanta camp prior to her discovering that Rick is still alive. This puts Shane into the right and most likely time frame for the baby's conception. Rick, however, was reunited with Lori shortly after and was also shown making love with Lori, so it is still entirely possible that he is, indeed, the biological father of Judith. Rick however has revealed that he knows that Judith is not his biological daughter, but regardless however he loves her and is willing to protect her at all cost. Judith is not immediately named upon her birth, and it took them several episodes to decide on the name 'Judith', which was the name of Carl's third grade teacher. Carl also suggests that they name her Sophia, after Sophia. She is nick-named by Daryl Dixon 'Lil' Ass Kicker.' Season 3 "Killer Within" Judith is successfully delivered via an emergency cesarean section by Maggie Greene, though this results in Lori's death due to blood loss and shock. Judith, in the few minutes after she is born, is silent. She is quickly awakened by a few quick, light taps on the back from Maggie. Carl is forced to shoot Lori in the head to prevent reanimation. Judith, Carl, and Maggie exit the prison, and Rick notices Maggie holding the baby without Lori's presence. Rick begins to sob upon realizing that Lori did not survive. "Say the Word" It is revealed that the baby is a girl. Daryl, Maggie, and Glenn Rhee offer to retrieve formula so that the baby will survive. Maggie and Daryl depart the prison and travel to a daycare center, where they discover formula, as well as other essential baby supplies. When they come back, Daryl feeds the baby and asks Carl if he has decided on a name yet. Carl goes through the names of all of the deceased women of their group. After, Daryl jokingly suggests the name 'Lil' Ass Kicker.' "Hounded" Rick first acknowledges her as his child to the first caller on the phone. He finally is seen carrying her after returning to the group for a second time. "When the Dead Come Knocking" Carl talks to Rick about the baby's name, and Carl tells Rick about how Daryl calls her 'Lil' Ass Kicker,' which Rick finds amusing. They finally decide on 'Judith' after Carl's third grade teacher, Judith Mueller. "Made to Suffer" Judith briefly appears in this episode being cradled by Beth Greene as Carol Peletier, Carl, and Axel look on. Axel uses Beth's good handling of Judith as an excuse to hit on her, which an anxious Carol pulls him aside and reprimands him for. "The Suicide King" Judith appearars in the episode being cared for by Beth while Rick, Michonne, Glenn, and Maggie are in Woodbury. Judith's cry appears to trigger Rick's psychosis. While Beth talks with Carol, Judith begins to cry again. Carol holds Judith before placing her in a box (a makeshift crib) with 'Lil' Ass Kicker' written on the side. "Home" Judith appears being fed by Maggie, while Beth is talking to her. "I Ain't a Judas" Judith is held by Carol and Andrea as they both talk about what happened to the group and their future plans. In the ending, she appears again being carried by Rick, while he is talking to Daryl and Hershel Greene about Andrea and his plans to get more weapons for the confrontation with Woodbury. "This Sorrowful Life" Carol is seen putting Judith in her playpen during her last conversation with Merle Dixon. "Welcome to the Tombs" Beth is seen holding Judith as the group prepars to defend the prison from the outside. During the attack, Judith is held by Beth, who is with Hershel and Carl hiding outside the prison in the woods. When they finally meet up with the rest of the group inside the prison, Beth takes Judith to Rick so that he can kiss her on the forehead. Season 4 "30 Days Without An Accident" Judith appears briefly in this episode. She looks more grown up, hinting that it has been a couple of months since she was born. It is shown that even if she is not Rick's biological daughter, he has adopted her as his own. "Infected" Judith is shown with Rick in the beginning of the episode. Beth takes care of her while the zombies attack Cell Block D. Rick tells everyone they cannot go near Judith because they could get her infected. Michonne seems bothered by her presence. Later, Judith vomits on Beth. In reaction, Beth asks Michonne to hold her, to which Michonne sternly replied, "No." However, Michonne then gives in and takes her uneasily. After a few seconds of Beth being gone, Michonne breaks down emotionally and holds Judith close to her. "Isolation" Beth is seen in the Administrative Building with Judith. She is holding Judith when Maggie walks in to talk with Beth. Later on, before going on the supply run, Daryl calls Judith the 'Lil' Ass Kicker' again. "Too Far Gone" During the attack, Judith is carried out by the prison children but is left on the ground unsupervised. After Rick and Carl reunite at the prison courtyard, they notice Judith's baby seat empty and bloody. However, Tyreese Williams, Lizzie Samuels, and her sister Mika manage to save her. The reason for her baby carrier being bloody is unknown. Her desperate father and brother, though, assume that she is dead. "Inmates" Judith is seen in the arms of Tyreese after the attack, and she cannot stop crying. After Tyreese hears a scream from the railroad, he leaves her with Lizzie. Lizzie covers Judith's mouth to stop her from crying during a walker attack, but Lizzie slips into a shell-shocked state and nearly suffocates the baby before the baby is saved by a newly returned Carol. Judith is last seen traveling with Tyreese, Carol, Lizzie, and Mika along some railroad tracks. "The Grove" Judith appears throughout the episode, often in the safety of either Tyreese or Carol in a baby carrier, which the two take turns wearing on their backs. While Tyreese and Carol are clearing out the cabin at the pecan grove, a walker suddenly falls over the first-story railing of the house. Unable to kill it (because she believes that walkers are still "alive"), Lizzie freezes up in fear with Judith in her arms as the walker lunges quickly toward them along the ground. Eventually, it is shot in the head by Mika, saving Lizzie and Judith's lives. Later on, in order to prove to Tyreese and Carol that walkers are not different from living people, Lizzie kills Mika by stabbing her, taking care to preserve her brain so that she will "come back". After she is discovered kneeling by Mika's body, she tells Tyreese and Carol that she had intended to do the same thing to Judith before Tyreese and Carol returned. However, Judith is seen off to the side of Mika's corpse, alive and lying on a blanket. Though saddened by Mika's death, Carol focuses on the situation at hand and dissuades Lizzie from harming Judith, telling her that, "She can't even walk yet," and would therefore not make a very good walker. Lizzie agrees. Knowing that Lizzie is dangerous, Tyreese offers to leave with Judith and part ways with Carol so that Carol could carry on with Lizzie. However, Carol disagrees with the idea and reluctantly kills Lizzie with the safety of the three of them in mind. After Lizzie and Mika are buried, Carol and Tyreese continue to proceed towards Terminus with Judith in the tow. "A" Judith appears in this episode via flashbacks from the prison, mostly seen being held by Beth. Judith first appears when Rick wakes up from his sleep, and Beth comes into his cell with Hershel to get Judith. Later on, Judith is seen held by Beth while watching Carl and Patrick rearranging blocks and guns. In the final flashback, Judith is seen sleeping while being held by Beth in the prison yard. Season 5 "No Sanctuary" Judith is still in the care of Tyreese and Carol. As Carol, Judith, and Tyreese approach another Terminus sign, a walker appears at their back, which makes Judith cry. Carol quickly dispatches the walker just in time to notice that a large herd is heading their way. Tyreese, now carrying Judith, and Carol hide in the woods, so as not to attract the herd's attention. Just when things start to turn into a bad situation for them, gunfire is heard, attracting the walkers and leading them away from the group. After taking a small cabin from a Terminant named Martin, Carol leaves Judith with Tyreese so that she can rescue the others. Afterwards, Martin tells Tyreese that either he himself dies, Tyreese dies, or the baby dies if Carol does not return. Tyreese negates this saying, "Nobody is gonna die today." Three walkers come out from the woods and distract Tyreese, which Martin uses to his advantage. He jumps up and grabs Judith's head, threatening to kill her if Tyreese does not go outside where the walkers are waiting. Tyreese goes outside so that Martin does not kill Judith. After a brief struggle with walkers, Tyreese returns and severely beats Martin, saving Judith. After rescuing the others, Carol brings Rick and Carl back to the cabin, where they reunite with Judith, joyfully hugging her. She is last seen being carried by Carol as the group leaves the site of Terminus to an unknown location, a place Rick says is 'somewhere far' from the now overrun, ransacked Terminus. "Strangers" Rick's group continues on their journey away from Terminus when they come across Father Gabriel Stokes, whom they save from a group of walkers. He takes the survivors back to his church, where they plan to stay for a while as they stock up on supplies. After scavenging the nearby area, the group enjoys a feast, and Rick uses the time to spend with Judith. Abraham Ford makes a speech, where he talks about his desire for Rick's group to join him and about Rosita Espinosa on their mission to escort Eugene Porter to Washington, D.C. Judith makes a noise during his speech, and Rick interprets this as her consent, lightheartedly saying that if Judith is in, then he is, too. "Four Walls and a Roof" When various members of the group go missing, several survivors go out to search for them. They eventually find Bob Stookey, who has been kidnapped by Gareth and the other surviving residents of Terminus. Rick leads a group out to confront Gareth and deal with them, while several others stay behind. Judith is among them, who is being cared for by Tyreese. After Rick's group leaves, the Hunters turn up and break into the church. Judith cries and gives away the group's hiding place, but before Gareth and his people can do anything, they are captured and slaughtered by Rick and the others. The following morning, the group says their goodbyes to Bob, who is dying from a bite on his shoulder. Judith sits on Rick's lap as he has one final talk with Bob. Bob thanks Rick for taking him in at the prison and advises him that the nightmare will end, but it does not have to end who they are. He tells Rick to look at Judith and see for himself that the world will someday change. He passes away shortly after. "Crossed" When Daryl returns from Atlanta with the news that Carol and Beth are being held in a hospital, Rick and several others prepare to go on a mission to save them, but they fortify the church before they leave. Rick holds Judith and gives her a kiss before handing her to Michonne, who is staying behind with Carl and Gabriel. Judith begins to cry as Rick leaves, and Carl strengthened the front door. Unbeknownst to Michonne and Carl, Gabriel sneaks out of the church shortly after. "Coda" Gabriel returns to the church after sneaking out and begs to be let inside as a herd of walkers are after him. Carl lets him in, but the walkers pour inside. Michonne attempts to hold them off, but there were too many, leaving them with no choice but to escape and abandon the church, while Carl carries Judith. They circle around to the front and shut the walkers inside. Just as the front door begins to give way, Abraham and his group, who had left a few days previously, return with a firetruck and block the door, preventing the walkers from escaping. The group reunites and Michonne reveals to an elated Maggie that Beth is alive and that Rick and the others have gone to rescue her. They all decide to go help out. Judith is presumably with Carl in the firetruck as the group arrives at the hospital, where they reunite with Rick and the others, and Maggie breaks down into tears upon seeing Daryl carrying Beth's corpse. "What Happened and What's Going On" Judith appears in this episode by means of a hallucination Tyreese has as he is dying. "Them" The group takes turns carrying Judith throughout their walk, especially Carl and Rick. When they reach the barn, they keep Judith close. When walkers attack, Carl puts her on the ground and then goes to help. The next morning, when Maggie wakes up, she sees Judith awake in Rick's arms while he is sleeping. "The Distance" Judith is crying due to hunger when Aaron offers the applesauce he has bought with him. Rick is not sure as to whether or not it is poisoned and orders Aaron to eat it first. Aaron says that he does not want to eat the applesauce because he has bad memories of them, but Rick forces him to. Judith rides in the RV during the first leg of their journey to Alexandria. She then rides in the car with Carl, Michonne, and Rick during the second leg. When they arrive, Rick picks her up and starts walking toward the gate. "Remember" Rick holds Judith while entering the safezone. There is a cot set up for Judith in their new house. During Carl's interview with Deanna Monroe, he is seen holding Judith. The next day he takes her for a walk in a pram, chatting with two elderly residents. "Forget" Judith is seen being taken to Deanna's house party. She is held by Jessie Anderson at one point, and when she attempted to pass Judith back to Rick, he kisses Jessie on the cheek. "Try" Judith is briefly seen on the screen of her baby monitor in the kitchen while Carol makes the casserole for the Monroe family as they mourned for the loss of their son Aiden. "Conquer" Judith is seen being carried by Carl inside of the garage at their house, while her older brother is playfully showing her around. Season 6 "First Time Again" Rick lets Morgan hold her while they discuss Carter. "JSS" Carl is pushing her in her stroller through Alexandria when he talks to Father Gabriel. Later, Carol is seen keeping an eye on her. She leaves Carl behind to take care of her during the Wolves attack. However, Carl leaves Judith alone while he searches for Enid. "Heads Up" Carol drops Judith off at Jessie's house as she is going after Morgan. "Start to Finish" Judith is in Jessie's house upstairs on a cot for most of the episode. When the group leaves to walk through the herd, Carl puts her under his cloak to mask her smell. "No Way Out" As the group stops for a moment to have a discussion about what to do, Gabriel suggests to take Judith to the church for safety. Rick accepts, and Gabriel leaves with her. Later in the church, Gabriel gives Judith to Anna so that he can go out and help Rick put down the walkers. Michonne later takes Judith after they finish clearing out the Safe-Zone and watches Rick looking after Carl. "The Next World" Judith is seen playing on the floor in Rick's bedroom while Rick gets ready to leave with Daryl. "Knots Untie" Judith stays in Alexandria with her brother after Rick and the group decide to leave to see Paul's community. "East" Judith remains asleep in her room as Rick and Michonne lay in bed talking to each other. Season 7 "The Day Will Come When You Won't Be" Judith appeared in Rick's dream sequence at the dinner table with other Alexandrians. "Service" Judith is in her crib when Rick picks her up and holds her and was also present at the church in her stroller. Later, Rick expresses his thought to Michonne that Shane is the father but he loves Judith and she is his child. "Sing Me a Song" Negan enters Judith's bedroom and lifts her out of her crib. He sits on the porch with Carl while cradling Judith in his arms. He contemplates killing Rick and Carl, and kisses Judith on the nose. "Hearts Still Beating" Judith is seen with Olivia at the table. "Say Yes" Judith is shown playing and being babysat by Tara, who debates the pros and cons of telling Rick about the guns at Oceanside. She listens as Tara is torn by her promise to keep its location a secret. "The First Day of the Rest of Your Life" Off-screen, Judith was transported to the Hilltop. She sits on the ground while Maggie and Jesus talk. Shortly after, Judith stands up and is carried away by Enid. Season 8 "Mercy" Judith is seen playing with chalk on the sidewalk being minded by Barbara. Rick comes over and kisses Judith on the head as he’s going to leave to the sanctuary. "How It's Gotta Be" Judith is first seen being looked after by Barbara and Michonne kisses her as she leaves her. Later on in the episode she is in the sewers with the rest of the group, being held by Daryl. "Honor" Judith will appear in this episode. "The Lost and the Plunderers" Judith will appear in this episode. Killed Victims This list shows the victims Judith has killed: * Lori Grimes (Indirectly Caused) Relationships Rick is shown to be firecly protective of Judith and loves her deeply. Rick knows that Judith may not be his biological daughter having learned of Shane and Lori's affair, but after both of their deaths he goes out of his way to ensure her survival. Rick is devastated when he thinks Judith has been killed by walkers during the fall of the prison. After his escape from Terminus, he is overwhelmed with joy when he discovers she is alive and cries as he holds her in his arms. In Service, Rick expresses his thoughts to Michonne that Judith is not his daughter but despite this, he loves her and will continue to protect her as if she were his own. Lori Grimes When Lori first found out about her pregnancy, she began crying as she knew the hardships that her baby would cause for the group and the dangers the helpless newborn would face growing up in such an unforgiving world. Lori took pills to abort the baby by taking tablets, but later threw them up as she was unsure what to do. She either didn't know that the pills would not actually terminate her pregnancy or she did know and she tried it as an act of desperation. Rick discovered the remaining pills and confronted her about it, prompting Lori to confess to both the pregnancy and the liaison with Shane. Although it seems that Lori made a "choice" to keep her baby, in reality, she may have realized that, without proper medical facilities to pursue an abortion, there really was no "choice." Lori's awareness of this is revealed in her conversation with Beth when Beth asked her how she could bring a baby into "this world." After going into labor in the prison, Lori knew that she and the baby wouldn't both survive. Without any consideration, she chose the baby and demanded that Maggie perform a C-section on her. As Maggie began cutting Lori open, Lori cried out in pain and died, probably because of blood loss. Lori never saw her daughter before she died. Carl Grimes Carl appeared to be very protective of his baby sister. He was present during her birth and came up with names for her, eventually deciding on Judith after one of his teachers. Carl clearly loved his baby sister and, like his father, was willing to keep her safe and protect her at all costs. Carl was devastated when it looked as though Judith had been killed by walkers after the fall of the prison. After escaping from Terminus, Carl is overwhelmed with joy to discover that she is alive. After being reunited with Judith and arriving at Alexandria, Carl spends a lot of his time taking care of his baby sister. Shane Walsh Shane is revealed to be Judith's biological father who died eight months before she was born. When Shane first found out of Lori's pregnancy, he automatically assumed that the baby was his. Lori had told Rick about the relationship, and both Lori and Rick told him that the baby would never be considered his, which infuriated him. Jealous of Rick, and seeing him as a rival, Shane was strongly suggested to have been interested in taking Lori as his wife and raising both Carl and the baby as his own. Realizing that he would never win Lori with Rick being present, Shane plotted to kill him, but catching on to Shane's plan, Rick beat him to it. Hershel Greene Due to his medical training, Hershel was the primary caretaker of Judith. He spent a significant amount of time with the baby and ensured that her needs were met. Hershel cared very deeply for Judith. Since the day Judith was born, Hershel had acted as her surrogate father while Rick recovered from his breakdown. Maggie Greene Maggie was the one who delivered Judith since Carol and Hershel were unavailable. It also appears that Maggie cares about Judith as she also went out to get formula with Daryl Dixon in "Say the Word". She also showed her affection in "Hounded" when she told Glenn to find toys for Judith while they are looking in the market. Beth Greene Beth was very attached to Judith; she was always seen holding and nurturing her. She got along very well with Judith, in contrast to Rick, who, at first, made her cry every time he held her. After Judith's birth, Beth was usually seen preparing formula or boiling milk for Judith. Sometime later, Beth admitted to Carol that she had always wanted a child of her own. After being informed that The Governor is planning to attack the Prison, Beth became concerned about Judith's safety and feels that the group should flee before they attack. Beth was skillful when it came to nurturing Judith, as she instructed her sister to hold and give her food when Maggie took Judith away from Beth for a short time. Beth was also shown to be Judith's babysitter when Rick went to go farming early in the morning as seen in Infected when Rick dropped her off while everyone else was asleep in their cells. Beth was very protective of Judith and would do anything to keep her alive and to honor Lori. Carol Peletier After getting over her grief regarding Lori's death, Carol took a fondness to Judith and was often seen cradling her in her arms and caring for her. After being found by Daryl after she was separated from the group, Carol was surprised to see Judith in Beth's arms, and since then, she has put her experience of having a daughter to good use in nurturing Judith. Carol, along with Beth, was the primary caretaker of Judith. Carol also tells Andrea about Judith's nickname when she goes to the prison for the first time, and in the process discovers about the deaths of Shane, Lori, T-Dog and Axel. When Beth is not seen cradling Judith, she is either asleep in her crib or is being cradled by Carol. Daryl Dixon Daryl was apparently fond of her which is why he nicknamed her, "Little Ass-Kicker." Judith revealed a soft spot in him, as witnessed by the way he precariously handled the baby and fed her formula. In "The Suicide King" when Daryl leaves, he told Rick to look after "Little Ass-Kicker" showing that despite him leaving, he still cared about her. Later, when Beth and Carol were putting her down in a box, it had "Lil' Ass-Kicker" written on the side. It is believed that Daryl wrote this, since he was the one who nicknamed her that. Also, Beth told Carol that Judith would be dead if it wasn't for Daryl because he refused to lose anyone else and personally went out to find formula so that she would live. Glenn Rhee Glenn and Judith never physically interacted, but indirectly have. Glenn was willing to go and retrieve supplies for her. During the "war" with the Governor, Glenn saw Judith as a burden. Hershel tried to devise plans in avoiding The Governor by leaving the prison. Glenn said that Judith would cry and be a major hindrance to the group's supplies and safety, as her loud cries would attract walkers. However, Glenn most likely cares for her a great deal. Michonne Michonne was first shown to be frustrated by Judith's cries as Beth cradled her. After she spits up on Beth's shirt, she asks Michonne to hold Judith so she can clean up. Michonne is reluctant but eventually gives in. As she is holding Judith, she starts to cry and holds her close. In After, it is discovered that Michonne was still dealing with the loss of her own young son, Andre. As time goes on, Michonne spends a great deal of time taking care of Judith. After Carl is shot, she stands outside his room holding her close. Tyreese Williams Tyreese was the one who saved Judith during the prison outbreak and he took care of her when he fled from the prison with Lizzie and Mika. Over the time spent together Tyreese become very protective over her and when Martin threatened to kill her, Tyreese nearly beat him to death. Lizzie Samuels After the prison outbreak, Judith was seen carried by Tyreese, with Lizzie and Mika. When Tyreese left the them trying to save Christopher and Christopher's Father because of screams heard from a distance, Judith cried and her cry attracted a great deal of walkers. Lizzie didn't seem to be very fond of Judith because of that, and tried to suffocate Judith. After murdering her sister, Mika, Lizzie tried to kill Judith again, but was stopped by Carol. Olivia While Rick is out scavenging supplies for Negan, Olivia takes care of Judith. Despite Tara's offer to take over so Olivia can go home, she keeps her word to Rick and goes back inside to watch her. At the dinner table, Judith sleeps in Olivia's arms. Tara Chambler In Say Yes, Judith is shown playing and being babysat by Tara, who debates the pros and cons of telling Rick about the guns at Oceanside. She listens as Tara is torn by her promise to keep its location a secret. Negan Negan first sees Judith while exploring the Grimes family house. Negan lifts Judith out of her crib and sits on the porch with Carl, Judith sleeping in his arms. Negan says that she is precious and when he suggests killing Rick and Carl and moving in to Alexandria, it would appear as though he has no plans to kill Judith as well. }} Appearances Trivia *Robert Kirkman stated: "If you've watched this show, it's definitely much more likely that it is Shane's baby, but you never really know."Natalie Abrams, The Walking Dead Bosses on Two Big Deaths: "It Was Not an Easy Decision", TV Guide, (November 4, 2012). **Andrew Lincoln in an 2018 interview even claimed that Judith is not Rick's biological daughter but that he considers her his own. *Judith is, so far, one of the only six known characters to be played by several different actresses, the others being Michonne, Hannah, Mike, Terry, and Paula. **However, she's the only one to be potrayed by two actresses at the same time. And as of "Mercy", the only one to be potrayed by three different actresses at the same time. **On Talking Dead, it is revealed Judith has 6 different sets of twin actors, plus a stunt doll for when the scenes were considered too unsafe for her actress. As of "First Time Again", Judith has been portrayed by 8 different sets of twin actors. This means she has 16 actors, the most of any character. The latest set of twins, Sophia and Chloe Garcia-Frizzi, are the first ones to make it an entire season. *Judith, despite being uncredited in every appearance, is the character with the most appearances outside the series regulars. *She is the youngest character to have killed someone, in this case Lori Grimes at the age of barely a few seconds old; albeit indirectly caused. *Judith is the first recurring female character in the TV Series to both appear in and survive three or more seasons without ever being added to the main cast. *Judith's first word was said in "The First Day of the Rest of Your Life", being "Mama". ** She is also able to stand up on her own as of this episode. * After the death of Sasha in the Season 7 finale, Judith is the only character introduced in Season 3 to still be alive. ** This also means she is now the sole surviving Prison newcomer. References Category:Walking Dead Characters Category:TV Series Characters Category:Season 3 Characters Category:Season 4 Characters Category:Season 5 Characters Category:Season 6 Characters Category:Alive Category:Babies Category:Children Category:The Prison Category:TV Series Category:Alexandria Safe-Zone Category:Season 7 Characters Category:Season 8 Characters Category:Orphans Category:Adoptees